Struggle
by shiny kittens
Summary: What happens if Leafpool tells her clanmates her biggest secret? How will Crowfeather and the other Clans react? What happens when Thunderclan knows the prophecy around Firestars kin? R
1. Chapter 1

"Birchfall, Birchfall, Birchfall!" the Clan chanted the new warriors name loudly, proud swinging in their voices. Witewing made her way thru the crowd, it was obvious the she-cat had feelings for the handsome tom. Squirrelflight chanted with them but she was watching Leafpool closely, her sister looked like she's going to vomit every moment. The medicine-cat looked heavy and she was clumsier than usual. Something was wrong with the beautiful tabby and Squirrelflight was determined to find out what it was. Suddenly Leafpool crumbled to the ground. "Leafpool!"The ginger she-cat stormed over to her sister, together with their worried parents. She got up, but not with the clumsy behavior she had lately displayed, but with an unusual grace. She opened her eyes, they weren't amber anymore they were from an icy blue. And when she began to speak her voice wasn't hers. "I'm sorry to shock you all like that but there's something you all have to know." "Bluestar,..." Firestar gasped. "It's good to see you my friend, but unfortunately we don't have the time to chat. It would exhaust Leafpools body to much to stay any longer than necessary." Squirrelflight could barely believe it. The former ThunderClan leader had taken over her sisters body! The she-cats blue gaze clouded over as she spoke: _,"There will be three, kin of Firestars kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws."_ Then as quick as she had come she left the brown tabby's body and Leafpool fell to the ground again. Squirrelflight nudged her gently while the Clan began to whisper about the words they had heard. "Why is StarClan telling this us all?" "What does this mean?" "How can a cat have so much power?" Leafpool opened her eyes and everyone went silent. She got to her paws heavily. "I know who those three are."she whispered, tears were forming in her eyes. "Who?" Sandstorm asked gently. The medicine-cat lifted her head. Tears were silently dropping on the ground, coloring the soil dark. "I'm pregnant."

ThunderClan slunk into the moonlit clearing. The full moon was bathing the cats in his light. The other clan were already at the Gathering. Thunderclan stayed close together, knowing that this gathering was going to be hard. "Leafpool!" Mothwing called for the medicine cat, waving her tail happily. Leafpool flicked her ears but didn't move, she was at the very heart of the group, on purpose. Firestar jumped up the tree briskly and sat down not looking at the other leaders. Whispers about Thunderclans strange behavior erupted in the crowd. "Well Firestar, why is your Clan huddled together like mice?" Leopard asked. "You'll see." the ginger tom answered. Blackstar snorted, then yowled out for the gathering to start. "Firestar, wanna start?" Onestar mewed. The Thunderclan leader sighed heavily and for the first time the other cats thought that he looked old and exhausted. "Thunderclan has a new warrior to report, Birchfall has earned his warrior name two sunrises ago." The other Clans yowled the warriors name. "As you all know, Our medicine-cat Leafpool had an affair with the WindClan warrior Crowfeather two moons ago." "Firestar, why are you bringing this up again?" Onestar could barely hide the snarl from his voice, "Crowfeather is as loyal as every other warrior in Windclan and his new mate Nightcloud is already expecting their first litter of kits. I don't think there is anything to discuss about." Firestar sighed again. "Unfortunately there is, Leafpool is expecting kits too." Gasps and yowls filled the clearing. "Are you sure they are from me?" Crowfeathers voice was as cold as ice. "WHAT!?" Leafpool shouldered her way thru the crowd. "Are you calling me a whore!?" she screeched. Cats stared at her, having never seen the usually calm cat so outraged. "You broke the code once, you can easily brake it again." The smoky tom hissed. "Should I remind you that I'm not the one who had TRHEE mates after another. What will happen if, Starclan bewares, Nightcloud dies while birthing? Is your next mate from _ShadowClan_ then." she snarled her voice dripping with venom. "Nightcloud won't die while birth. Differently than some _other she-cats_ she's strong. I bet StarClan would gladly kill those bastards of yours." Cats around the former mates gasped in shock. "Oh, I bet _you_ would be glad if I and those kits die, wouldn't you? How in Starclans name did I ever fall in love with you?!" she hissed, then she turned around, her swollen belly swaying, and stalked back to the ThunderClan group. "Um... alright so how are we going to handle this?" Onestar asked, more than just stunned. "I would suggest that Leafpool takes on an apprentice to take her place sa a medicine cat." Leaopardstar mewed calmly. "But there are no kits in the nursery. And the next litter will be Leafpools own and she can't train one of them, the warrior code forbids it." Firestar mewed. "Excuse me... but why can't Leafpool just take on her job as a medicine-cat when her kits are apprentices and the time she's in the nursery... I'm sure Brightheart could help out and well, Leafpool is still there, isn't she? She can still treat her clanmates if they're seriously wounded." to everyones suprise it was Mothwing who spoke up. "That sounds acceptable." Firestar said, "If brightheart agrees to take over the position of a medicine-cats temporary." Brightheart looked a little bit uncomfortable, speaking in front of so many cats. "I would take over as long as it's just temporary." she mewed. "Of course it will be just temporary. As soon as Leafpools kits are old enough to be apprentices you can fulfill your warrior duty's again." Firestar said, he looked relieved. "But who's going to help Leafpool thru the kitting? Brightheart may be skilled but she's no medicine-cat." someone from the crowd stated. "If you send for me as soon as she goes into labour I could help her." Barkface mewed calmly. "Me too." stated Littlecloud. "And I would gladly help." Mothwing purred. "Good now that this is clear, I would like to report." Blackstar said briskly.


	2. Chapter 2

"Momma! Jaykit stepped on a huge thorn!" Hollykit squeaked, her eyes as round as moons. "I think my apprentice name will be _Threepaw_. That thing nearly got thru." the gray tabby mewed jokingly. Leafpool rushed over to her blind kitten. "That's not funny. What if you loose your paw?" Lionkit mewed seriously. Leafpool treated her sons wound practiced. "Don't worry your apprentice name will be Jaypaw." She purred. "Good, then the two of them will stop fussing." Jaykit piped cheerily, waving his tail at his siblings. The little tom stormed of, maybe annoying the elders. "Wait! Are you sure you can go around with that paw?" Hollykit called, dashing after him. Lionkit just sighed and trotted after them slowly. Leafpool purred as she watched her kits vanish into the elders den. Jaykit had a bright spirit, always joking and good-naturedly teasing his siblings. Lionkit was more the serious and stern one. While Hollykit was quiet and shy around other cats. All in all they were good kits. It had been a shock for the whole Clan as they discovered Jaykits blindness but he didn't seem to bother. Leafpool was somehow glad that none of her kits had Crowfeathers snarky personality or his smoky pelt. Jaykit may had his night blue eyes but because of his blindness they were clouded over and of an paler color. The medicine-cat/queen watched as a squealing bundle of fur erupted from the elders den. "I'm Lionstar, leader of Thunderclan! And this is my deputy... ummm... Jaysong! Get out of our territory Hollystar of Shadowclan!" "Woah, wait! _Jaysong?_ That's a she-cats name!" Hollykit mewed. A wide grin spread on the gray tabby's face. "I could act like one!" He called. Lionkit and Hollykit exchanged glances. Leafpool watched in amusement as Jaykit started walking around the clearing awkwardly, swaying his hips. "I'm Jaysong, deputy of ThunderClan." He stated in a high pitched voice. Leafpool laughed. "You would've made a great She-cat Jaykit!" she called to her kits, who were giggling and laughing carefree. Leafpools smile faded, _Do you really hold the power of the stars in your paws?_ She knew that she was not the only one thinking about that, she saw the way some of her clanmates looked at the three of them and knew exactly that they just saw the prophecy. _Why can't they just grow up like normal kits? Without some prophecy right above their head?_she thought sadly. _Even without the Prophecy they wouldn't have a normal kithood. With their mother being a medicine cat and their father from a different clan, not to mention that he doesn't care about them,_ some little bitter voice inside her head answered her.

"Hollykit, please step forward." Firestars mew was proud and his green gaze was locked on his granddaughter. The little black she-cat trembled with excitement. "This kit has reached it's sixth moon and is ready to become an apprentice. Hollykit, from this moment until you receive your warrior name, you'll be known as Hollypaw. Brackenfur, you're a strong and intelligent warrior and I'm sure you will pass all your knowledge down onto young Hollypaw." The black apprentice touched her nose shyly to her mentors. The golden-brown warrior smiled kindly at her and sat down again. "Lionkit step forward. This kit has reached it's sixth moon and is ready to become an apprentice. Lionkit, from this moment until you receive your warrior name, you'll be known as Lionpaw. Ashfur You have already proven that you're an excellent mentor and I'm sure that you will pass down your knowledge down to young Lionpaw." The two cats touched noses and went over to Hollypaw and Brackenfur. "Jaykit step forward." The gray tabby bounded forward, pawing the ground excitedly. Firestars whiskers twitched in amusement. "This kit has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice. Jaykit from this moment until you receive your warrior name you'll be known as Jaypaw. Sorreltail has requested to become young Jaypaws mentor." Jaypaw pricked his ears, "Awesome!" He squeaked and bounded over to touch noses with the pretty tortoiseshell. Sorreltail purred and sat down beneath the other mentors. "Hollypaw! Lionpaw! Jaypaw!" the clan chanted and then went to their duty's. Leafpool padded over to them, her chest fur puffed out. "I'm so proud of you three!" she exclaimed and licked each of them on the head. Lionpaw and Jaypaw both snorting that they weren't kits anymore. "Are you going to be a medicine cat again?" Lionpaw asked, locking his identical amber gaze on hers. "Yes, I am." she mewed. "I wanna be an apprentice too!" Foxkit complained looking up at Ferncloud. Whitewing chuckled softly, the white queen had moved into the nursery a few sunrises ago, heavily with Birchfalls kits. "What are we going to do first?" Jaypaw asked Sorreltail excitedly. "We are goimg to show you three the territory." the tortoiseshell she-cat mewed. "Wohooooo!" the blind tom yowled, bouncing up and down. Lionpaw just smiled, while Hollypaw was spinning in circles, shouting, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" everyone stared at the normally quiet she-cat. Hollypaw stopped and folded her ears back in embarrassment. "Um... sorry." she apologized. "Excitement is nothing you need to apologize for." Ashfur purred flicking his tail over the black apprentices ears. She smiled widely and raced with Jaypaw to the camp-entrance. Their brother followed slower.

"Yuk, whats that stench?" Jaypaw asked, rubbing his nose with a paw as if a bee had stung him. "We#re not far from the ShadowClan border. I'm surprised that you can already smell it." His mentor answered. "Sharper senses." The gray tabby shrugged. "Interesting." Sorreltail noted. "sorreltai, Ashfur, Brackenfur. How's prey in ThunderClan territory?" A polite voice mewed. Jaypaws fur fluffed up as he smelled three ShadowClan cats. "Thanks, Smokefoot. It's running well." Brackenfur mewed back. "Who are those pipsqueaks?" A light brown tom snorted. Before his mentor could scold the apprentice for his rudeness Jaypaw shot forward. "Well, at least I don't smell like a rotten piece of crowfood!" The other apprentice gasped, but not because of his insult. "Woah, what in StarClans name is wrong with your eyes?" "I'm blind. But I bet you're the ugliest cat around the lake!" he grinned. "Jaypaw! That's enough. I'm sorry it's their first time out of camp." Sorreltail said. "I guess they're Leafpools kits then?" the other ShadowClan warrior said. The ThunderClan warriors tensed. "Yes, we are!" Lionpaw shouted, proud swinging in his voice. "Yeah, I would be proud too if I was half-clan and my mother was a medicine-cat!" the shadowClan apprentice sneered. "Owlpaw!" smokefoot shouted. "But it's true! They're nothing but a mistake!" Owlpaw argued. Jaypaw swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump that has formed in his throat. "We- we are mistakes?" Hollypaw breathed. "Leafpool loves you more than anything. You're no mistakes." Brackenfur tried to comfort his apprentice. "Yeah, tell that Crowfeather." Lionpaw snorted bitterly. He turned around and stomped away. Ashfur sighed heavily and followed him. "Well, I think it's time to say goodbye. I have an apprentice to punish and I'm sure you have something to do too. So... farewell." Smokefoot mewed.

Silence had spread between the cats as they entered camp. Even Jaypaw has kept quiet since their encounter with the ShadowClan patrol. Leafpool was carrying a bundle of herbs when Lionpaw rushed into camp, Ashfur on his heels. "Lionpaw, you aren't listening to me!" he called. The golden apprentice turned around. Hollypaw flinched slightly at the furious and hurt glint in her brothers eyes. "Why, should I listen!?" he screeched getting the attention of almost every cat, including their mother, who had a worried expression on her face. "Why should I listen to anything that you or anyone else say? It won't change anything! It won't change the fact that me. Jaypaw and Hollypaw are nothing more than mistakes!" Lionpaws voice was full of hurt. Hollypaw felt tears filling her eyes and tried to blink them away. "Stop making such a fuss." Jaypaw mewed, there was still a happy ring in his voice. Hollypaw admired her brother for that. "You nearly made poor Hollypaw cry." he grinned. The she-cat shuffled her paws uncomfortable under the stares of her clan mates. "Oh, shut up!" Lionpaw hissed. "Aren't you taking anything serious! Life is nothing more than a big game for you! But I have little information for you, clan-life isn't mice and moonshine. Our birth shattered the warrior-code to pieces! Yes. Leafpool loves us, but our father gives a damn rat tail about us and I bet for the other clans we're nothing more than dirt! And you just don't understand that! You are just like everything is fine, everything is happy and just_ great!" _Jaypaw padded up to his brother. Lifted his paw and slapped him right in the face. Lionpaw gasped, shocked. Hollypaw had never seen her brother like this. The gray tabby turned around smiling brightly at Hollypaw. "Come on let's get us something to eat! I'm starving!" then he bounded away, his sister followed.


End file.
